An electric toothbrush is a toothbrush that uses electric power to move the brush head, normally in an oscillating pattern, though electric toothbrushes are often called ‘rotary‘ toothbrushes.

Different kind of brushes

The Cochrane study separated the electrical toothbrush designs into:

* side-to-side
* circular
* ultra-sonic vibration, like the Sonicare manufactured by Philips - which claims to have a secondary cleaning action caused by vibrating saliva[9]
* rotation-oscillation in which a circular head spins back and forth in quick bursts - like many of Braun’s Oral B-brushes.
* counter oscillation, in which tufts of bristles rotate in different directions simultaneously